Dr. Phil dishes on maintaining Type 2 Diabetes, On It Movement

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - Dr. Phil, one of television’s best known doctors, has been on air for more than 15 years and has close to 30 Emmy nominations to his name.

When the 2015 Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame inductee isn’t offering expert advice, he’s sharing his 25 years of experience as a Type 2 Diabetes patient with the millions of people affected by the disease every day.

Upon his diagnosis, Dr. Phil made a commitment to self treatment through diet and exercise, and in 2016 he started the “On It” Movement committed to helping adults with diabetes maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Phil and family physician Dr. Pamela Kushner joined News 8’s Heather Myers from Los Angeles to discuss some of the psychological challenges associated with managing a chronic health condition.

Decades working as a psychologists and multiple years on T.V. never immunized Dr. Phil to the occasional slip up.

He partnered with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to create a six-step plan, or “6 Rules to Get ON IT,” to help diabetes patients move past those psychological barriers and get back on track.

During their conversation with Meyers, Dr. Phil and Dr. Kushner the importance of what comes for patients after they “fall off the wagon.”

“A lot of time, psychological and emotional barriers have to be overcome,” Kushner said. “So if you fall off the wagon as we all do, which means, yes, you get an award, you’re a human being, then you need to get back on it. Move back on that plan, lose that guilt and move forward.”

Dr. Phil emphasized three steps of immediate action for patients who have a slip in their diet or routine.

The first, is getting a fresh start.

“Wake up the next day. New day, don’t spend a week feeling guilty,” Dr. Phil said. “Get right back on it.”

The next step is to reassess and redefine what your goals and rewards are. Some people might designate a banana split as an ample reward for good health discipline, but for a Type 2 diabetic, Dr. Phil said, a banana split is a punishment.

“I like it but it doesn’t like me,” he said. “I’m going to feel terrible for the rest of the week, so you don’t want to tell yourself something is a reward when it’s not.”

You can find out more about the six steps of the On It Movement at OnItMovement.com.

The Dr. Phil show airs Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. on the CW and Monday through Friday at 3 p.m. on CBS 8.

Dr. Phil worked as a licensed psychologist in the State of Texas for 25 years before retiring to dedicate himself to his media career. He has earned a presidential citation from the American Psychological Association, and his show has earned a MADD Media Award, 5 PRISM Awards and 29 Emmy nominations.